Lawn mower



Aug. 31, 1948.

F. w. GARDNER LAwNMowER Filed March 8, 194e INVENTOR. FRED W. GARDNER ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 31, 1948 UNITED. l.STATI-2S RbITIEZNTV "Y 'I d 2,448,091l I i l LAWN MowER l Fred W. Gardner, Winter Park,.Fla.k t y Application-March' s, 194.6, seal Noren-,osa

'The'fpresent' invention relatestov-new andv useful' improvements in lawnmowers, `and more par-l ticularly toa machinefoi-this Vcharacter embodying; auplurality 'of horizontally rotatable blades andincluding 'upper and lower coactingblades tug''ether-'withy means :for rotatingthe blades in opposite directionsfto iper-form' their ycutting action! `Y i 1i A"furtherobject oftheinvention is to provide a-'inowerof"this-character including a plurality ofiliceaetingupper` and"A lower rotating 'blades operatively connected -to each otherv for f opposite rotationj"together withtractionwheels for independently driving eachv pairfoi blades.V

` A--further object ofthe invention is `to provide afedmmon shaft to which the vtraction wheels are secured," whereby "alll of' the rotating 4blades will the contourof the wheels ingl 'had :toV the 'accornpariyingrdrawing formingv part" hereoi`,wherein' like numerals refer to like parts` throughrnit,` and in which:

' Figure 1 is a top planview. with parts brokenl away and'v lshown in i section.

"Figure 2 is a bottom plan view.. y

Figure 3, is' an enlarged planview' of one ofthe pairs fof rotating cutters with'the `disc of the uppereutt'er removed: i p

"Figure 4 is atransverse sectional view taken substantially on aline 4-4 of Figure 2.

Eigurehl is la transverse sectional viewl of a pair of;` he 'rotatingwcutters taken substantially on a lineKfL-S ofF'igure 3,.' l

' Referring now tc the "drawingslin detail, whereiniforthe purpose of illustration I have disclosed a Epreferred embodiment-*of 'theinvention the numeral 5 designates the transversely extending guardincluding forwardly projecting top and bottoni wallsl and 1, respectively, vconnected to each iotherfattheir rear edges and open at' their frontedges, as shown more clearly in Figure lof tliedra'wings. Ahandle 8 is attached to the rear edge ofthe guard. y y *y TheJbOttom`1- ofthe guard is formed with'a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart f for'- y the'ground wheels 26 will rotate thejaxle 25f,and'

, 2- wardly projecting tongues lower-endsofshafts I0 extend,l the upper ends of: theshafts projecting upwardly through: :the top `Ii ofthe guard and secured against rotation therein by nuts vI I. A respective lower .cutting disc I2 is rjournaled onf each of the shafts w"fIIl above thefccrresponding'tongue v9,-'eachv discIZ` having a plurality vof blades. I3.extending .radially therefrom. Upper andv lower gears lfd andal 51 are securedfrespectively to the upper'andlower sides' ofthe disc I2. y

The `discs :I 2 and blades l' I 3 constitutea flower cutter and an. upper cutter 'which' includes a disc portion I'I mounted for free rotation onithe shaft IU and spacedabove thefdisc I2 andis also vpro-A vided with a plurality of radially extendingy blades IB arrangedin ycutting'relation with the blades I3. l An arm` I9 has one end inserted transversely.k through theshaft I0 by meansof an openingZI) therein,v whilef the'outer end of the' arm is pro-l vided with a pin 2I on which a-pinio'n 22 is journaled. The cutter I6' -is formed ywithan internalgear 23 which is driven from the gear rIll by'the'pinion 22,`the pinion constituting a` reversingjidlergear interposed between the gear I4 and the'gear i23 to provide an operative con` nection between the upper vand lower cutters vI2E andfltoV drive the-same in opposite directions.' The pinion-22 and gears -I4 and 23r are constructedv of a gear ratio to drive the'upper cutter IIfat a reduced speed relative to the cutter yI2v and the upper cutter I6 is formed with a greater number oi cutting blades 'I8 than the number of cutting blades' I3 for thelower cutter I2 so that the cuttingcooperation between pairs ofthe upper andv lower blades will not occur simultaneously rand thus'requirel less effort in the operation of thee machine.

r A bearingbracket 24 is securedto Athe under' sideofeachsof the tongues 9 andin wliich'a transverselyiextending axle 25 is'journaled.

A plurality oi.r ground vwheels 26 are secured on" the axle W25, each` ground wheelA including teeth' '2l f engaging* an ladjacent l"corresp'vondir'igv lower 'gear- I5 securedto theunder rside'ofthe lower cutter I2. y e n Inthe operation of the device it .will beapparent-that as the mower is moved over Fthe ground,

since each of the ground wheels is engaged with` n l cutter, I2, allioi the cutters will be: operated even should the contour'oitheY ground prevent one orlincreof the` 4. ground wheelsl from roperative .engagement 'there-A" 5.5,

the lower gear'fIS of a respective lower With.

a through which the 3 The rotation of the lower cutters I2 by the ground wheels 26 and gears I5 will also cause the rotation of the upper cutters I6 through their operative engagement with the respective lower cutters by the corresponding ring gears 23, pinlons 22 and upper gears I4.

It is believed vthat the details of construction, manner of use and advantages of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing with-v out further detailed explanation.

It is to be understood, however, that even though I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, the same is susceptible of certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described, and the scope of the appended claims'.

Having thus described the invention, what 'I tongue, a. respective lower gear secured to each lower cutter disc and disposed between the latter andthe corresponding guard tongue, an upper gear secured to the upper surface of each lower cutter disc, a respective upper cutter disc journaled on each shaft and having radiallyprojecting blades cooperating with thc blades on the corresponding lower cutter disc, an internal ring gear in each upper cutter disc concentric with the upper gear on the corresponding lower cutter disc, an arm secured -to each shaft and projecting outwardly therefrom between the corresponding lower and upper cutting discs, an idler gear on theouter endof each arm meshing with the corresponding upper gear and ring gear to drive the associated upper cutter disc from the lower vcutter disc in the reverse direction and at a different speed, axle bearings secured to and depending from the lower wall of said guard, an axle journaled in said bearings, and toothed ground-engaging wheels secured on said axle and meshing respectively with said lower gears to drive said cutter discs as said lawn mower is propelled over the ground.

2. A lawn mower comprising a guard having a top wall anda bottom wall provided with spacedapart apertures with each bottom wall aperture in alignment with the corresponding top-wall aperture, a plurality of cutter units operatively mounted between said upper and lower guard walls each concentric with a respective pair of aligned apertures and including a shaft extending through said aligned apertures and secured to said guard, axle bearing secured to the under-side of said guard, and toothed, ground-engaging wheels secured on `said axle and drivingly engaging respective cutter units. I

3. A lawn mower comprising a guard having a top wall and a bottom wall provided with spacedapart apertures with each bottom wall aperture in alignment with the corresponding top-wall aperture, a plurality of cutter units operatively mounted between said upper and lower guard walls each concentric with a respective pair of aligned apertures and including a shaft extending through said aligned apertures and secured to said guard, axle bearings secured to the under-side of said guard, and toothed, ground-engaging wheels secured on said axle and drivingly engaging respective cutter units, each cutter unit comprising a lower cutting disc having radiallyprojecting blades and a gear thereon drivingly engaged by the respective ground-engaging tooth-ed wheel, an upper cutter disc having radially-projecting blades, gear means between said cutter discs operative vtof drive said l,upper disc from said lower disc in the reverse direction, said cutter discs being journaled on the corresponding shaft and said gear means being secured to said shaft and carried thereby.

4. A lawn mower comprising a guard having a top wall and a bottom wall provided with spacedapart apertures with each bottom wall aperture in alignment with the corresponding top-wall aperture, a plurality of cutter units operatively mounted between said upper and lower guard walls each concentric with a respective pair '-of alignedv apertures and including a shaft extend-v ing through said aligned apertures and secured to said guard, axle bearing-s secured to the under-side of said guard, and toothed, ground-engaging wheels secured on said axle and drivingly engaging respective cutter units, each cutter unit comprising a low-er cutter disc having radially-v projecting blades and a gear thereonv drivingly engaged by the respective ground-engaging wheel, an upper cutter disc having a number of radially-projecting blades different from the number of blades on said lower cutter disc to precluder shearing action by more than one 4pair of blades at the same time, gear means between said cutter discs operative to drive said upper disc from said lower disc in the reverse direction, said cutter discs being journaled on said shaft and said gear means including an arm secured to said shaft between said cutter discs, a gear secured on the upper surfaceof said lower-cutter disc, a ring gear in said upper-cutter disc andan idler gear carried by said arm at the outer end thereof and meshing with said ring gear and said lower cutter-disc gear to drive said uppercutter disc from said lower-cutter disc in the reverse direction.

5. A lawn mower comprising a guard having a top wall and a bottom wall provided with spacedapart apertures With each bottom wallaperture in alignment with the corresponding top-wall4 aperture, a plurality of cutter units operatively mounted between said upper and lower guard walls each concentric with a respective pair of aligned apertures and including a shaft extending through said aligned apertures and secured to said guard, :axle bearing secured to the underside of said guard, and toothed, ground-engaging wheels secured on said axle and drivingly engaging respective cutter units, each cutter unit comprising a lower cutter disc having radially-projecting blades and a gear thereon drivingly engaged by the respective ground-engaging wheel, :an upper cutter disc having a number of radially-projecting blades different from the number of blades on said lower cutter disc to preclude shearing action by more than one pair of blades at the same time, gear means between said cutter discs operative to drive said upper disc from said lower disc in the reverse direction, said cutter discs being journaled on said shaft and said gear means including an armsecured to said shaft between said cutter discs, a gear secured` on the upper surface of said lower cutter disc, a ring gear in said upper-cutter disc and an idler gear carried by said arm at the outer end thereof and meshing with said ring gear and said REFERENCES CITED lower cutter-disc gear to drive said upper-cutter The following references are of record in the disc from said lower-cutter disc in the reverse le of this patent: direction, said gear means having a ratio such 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS as to drive said upper-cutter disc at a speed different from that iat which said lower-cutter disc Number Name Date is driven. 222,626 Gates Dec. 16, 1379 784,396 Hall Mar. '7, 1905 FRED W. GARDNER. 10 1,397,365 COOk Nov. 15, 1921 1,465,279 l Montague Aug. 21, 1923 

